III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 311 

Expressing support for the people of Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami 

and the assassination of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and urging 

support and respect for free and fair elections in Sri Lanka. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2005 

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself and Mr. BIDEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the people of Sri Lanka in the wake 

of the tsunami and the assassination of the Sri Lankan 

Foreign Minister and urging support and respect for 

free and fair elections in Sri Lanka. 

Whereas, on December 26, 2004, Sri Lanka was struck by 

a tsunami that left some 30,000 dead and hundreds of 

thousands of people homeless; 

Whereas the United States and the world community recognized the global importance of preventing that tragedy 

from spiraling into an uncontrolled disaster and sent aid 

to Sri Lanka to provide immediate relief; 

Whereas the massive tsunami reconstruction effort in Sri 

Lanka creates significant challenges for that country’s 

struggling democracy; 
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•SRES 311 IS

Whereas the democratic process in Sri Lanka is further challenged by the refusal of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 

Eelam, a group that the Secretary of State has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, to renounce 

violence as a means of effecting political change; 

Whereas, on August 12, 2005, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakhsman Kadirgamar was assassinated at his 

home in Colombo in a brutal terrorist act that has been 

widely attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 

Eelam by officials in Sri Lanka, the United States, and 

other countries; 

Whereas democratic elections are scheduled to be held in Sri 

Lanka on November 17, 2005; 

Whereas nondemocratic foreign powers and private sources 

have reportedly been aiding and funding various political 

factions in Sri Lanka, including both extremist Sinhalese 

and extremist Tamil parties or groups; and 

Whereas the United States has an interest in a free and fair 

democratic process in Sri Lanka, and the peaceful resolution of the insurgency that has afflicted Sri Lanka for 

more than two decades: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses its support for the people of Sri 

3 Lanka as they recover from the devastating tsunami 

4 that occurred on December 26, 2004, and the assas5 sination of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister 

6 Lakhsman Kadirgamar on August 12, 2005; 

7 (2) expresses its support for the courageous de8 cision by the democratically-elected Government of 
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•SRES 311 IS

1 Sri Lanka, following the assassination of Foreign 

2 Minister Kadirgamar, to remain in discussions with 

3 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in an attempt 

4 to resolve peacefully the issues facing the people of 

5 Sri Lanka; 

6 (3) urges all parties in Sri Lanka to remain 

7 committed to the negotiating process and to make 

8 every possible attempt at national reconciliation; and 

9 (4) urges all outside parties, including govern10 ments of foreign countries, private individuals, and 

11 other organizations, to support and respect a free 

12 and fair democratic process in the Sri Lankan elec13 tions scheduled to be held on November 17, 2005, 

14 and to work to prevent extremist groups in Sri 

15 Lanka from interfering with that process. 

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